Improvementx i in cleaning sugar



' J.-HURD. Machine for Separating Liquids from Sugar.

Patented Oct. 3, 1844.

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UNITED STATES FATENT @rrrcre,

VIMPROVEMENT' IN CLEANING SUGAR."

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 3,772, dated Octoln r1844.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OSEPl-I HURD, of Stone-i ham, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and usefulimprovement in separating liquid matters from sugar or various othermaterials, or for passing cleansing-liquids through sugar or such othermaterials; and I do hereby declare that the following description andaccompanying drawings taken together constitute a full and exactspecification of the construction and operation of my invention.

The process of potting sugar or freeing it from sirup or treacle(molasses) as practiced in the West Indies and other countries consistsin allowing it to stand for a considerable period of time in hogsheads,casks, or cisterns having holes bored through their bottoms. The forceof gravity causes the sirup or treacle to gradually descend through thesugar and escape through the holes in the bottom of the hogs'heads.Inorder, by the above operation, to expel the sirup orliquidsufficiently to render the sugar fit for the market, much time isnecessarily consumed. Besides, large curing-houses, as they are termed,adapted for the purpose, must be erected and maintained.

My improvement consists in effecting the separation of the molasses by amachine of a peculiar construction, which accomplishes the same throughthe agency of centrifugal force.

Figure 1 represents a top view of the said machine. Fig. 2 is a centraland vertical section thereof. It consists of a eylindric or other propershaped cistern, A, surrounding and having within it another cylindric orother suitably-shaped vessel, B, which is attached to or has a verticalshaft, 0, passing through its axis or central part, as seen in Fig. 2,and so arranged in bearings and in otherrespects as to be capable ofbeing revolved on its axis, and thereby impart a corresponding motion tothe vessel 13.

An external view of the vessel B as it appears when removed from thevessel A is given in Fig. 3. As a convenient and simple mode of makingit I construct it of a circular and solid bottom, a, (of wood or otherproper material,)having raised upon it a cylindrical wire frame-work, b,formed of strong wire or strips of metal wound in a helix and secured insuch a form by any suitable number of vertical wires or rods or strips,0 c, &c., inserted and confined in the plate or bottom a, and a metallicring or rim, 6?, the latter of which is connected to the central shaft,0, by arms 6 e c e. The frame-work b surrounds and is intended to givesupport to a hollow cylinder, f, of woven wire, whose inner surface islined with flannel 00, or other suitable material, the object of thewhole being to suffer the escape of the sirup, molasses, orliquidmatters through the sides of the vessel B, and at the same time toretain the sugar within it whenever the vessel is put in rapidrevolution. The said vessel may be revolved within the cistern A bymeans of a pulley, 71, fixed 011 the top of the shaft, around which(pulley) aband from the d rivinpower may extend and give motion to it.

The sugar containing the molasses is to be thrown into the interior ofthe vessel B, and when the said vessel is put in rapid revolution thecentrifugal force generated in the molasses or sirup or liquid matterwill expel it from the mass of sugar and drive it through the sides ofthe chamber B into the cistern surrounding the said chamber, from whichit may be removed through an opening or faucet at 2'. Such a machine isso effectual in discharging molasses, sirup, or other liquid mattersfrom sugar or other powdered or pulverized substance that but a shorttime is required to effect by it what requires a very long period by theold process hereiuabove detailed.

Although I have described such a machine as my own practical. experiencehas proved to be of the simplest and most convenient kind for thepurpose for which I have used it, yet others varied in form and mode ofconstruction may be made to operate in a similar manner, so as to expelthe sirup, molasses, or other liquid from the sugar or other mattercontaining the same. I conceive the mechanism as hereinabove describedto be very different from that heretofore patented by me for evaporatingwater from cloths, wool, &c., inasmuch as the said mechanism (patented)was only employed by me for the purpose of revolving the cloth, &c., incontact with the atmosphere, in order to evaporate the liquid, andtherefore I only conceived of attaching the cloth, &c., to frames whichwere to have such contrivances applied to them as might be convenientfor stretching the cloth or wool thereon in such manner as would permitthe air to have free access to all the threads of the cloth or fibers ofthe wool, so as to pass through the cloth or wool and evaporate themoisture.

The machine which is the subject of this specification effects its objectviz., that of expelling liquid from a mass of sugar or othermaterial-through the agency of centrifugal force alone. I also use thesaid machine for washing sugar or other matters, and this I effeet bygradually pouring or discharging water or other cleansing-liquid upon ornear the center or other suitable parts of the mass of sugar or othermaterial contained in the cylindric vessel B while the said vessel is inrapid revolution. The water or cleansing-liquid will thus be driventhrough the mass and sides of the vessel by the action of centrifugalforce. Therefore My invention, and that which I claim as an improvement,consists in- 1. The employment, in the manner set forth, of a cylindricor other proper shaped vessel, B, capable of receiving and holding amass of sugar or other material, and Whose sides are composed of aporousmaterial of such strength and character as will retain the mass of sugaror other substance to be operated on, and at I the same time permit thepassage of the liquid matters (proceeding from the mass) through themwhen the said vessel is put in such rapid revolution as to generate inthe liquid or liquids a sufficient degree of centrifugal force to expelit or them from the mass, as described.

2. In combination with a vessel so arranged and operated, a chamber orcistern, A, wholly or partially surrounding the same, or so con nectedwith the same as to catch and retain or suffer to escape into a properreceptacle the liquid matters as they are expelled from .the

mass in the vessel B.

V 3. The combination, with the vessel B, of a means of supplying wateror other cleansingliquid to the central or other suitable part of themass of sugar or other material to be cleansed, for the purpose ofdressing or cleansing sugar, &c., as set forth.

4. The manner of dressing or cleansing sugar or other matterssusceptible of being so dressed or cleansed-viz., by passing a currentof water or other suitable cleansing-liquid into the interior of themass, and from thence driving it through and out of the mass bycentrifugal force, substantially as explained.

- JOSEPH HURD.

Vitnesses:

R. H. EDDY, LEMUEL W. BLAKE.

